Albertina Nakale
FARM UITKOMS - Due to escalating poverty levels, young girls at Farm Uitkoms in the Otjozondjupa region are allegedly selling their bodies - sometimes for less than the cost of bread - to survive a hunger crisis ensnaring the community.
The sex trade at the government resettlement farm was confirmed by Uitkoms chief Katae August recently when New Era visited the area.
“Most households are poor. Some parents agree for their underage girls as small as 13 to go and have sex with men in exchange for cash because they don’t have food at home,” he revealed.
“Sometimes, these girls ask these men to buy them sugar and if they agree, they ask these young girls to become their girlfriends. Some parents here agree, and when you ask them, they say they have no choice but to allow these young
girls who are still in school to go and have sex for money due to poverty.”
Besides those who encroached on the farmland, Farm Uitkoms families were resettled by the government in 2008 under the marginalised communities’ programme in the office of the deputy prime minister.
However, over the years, the farm has been rocked by a myriad of social ills such as high teenage pregnancies among girls as young as 13. Other problems are drug and alcohol abuse, poaching, stock theft, overgrazing and outsiders illegally occupying land on the farm.
Insufficient or no food distribution under the government’s drought relief initiative has caused
a stir in the community, particularly amongst vulnerable women and young girls.
August reiterated that there are men at the settlement who are exchanging sex with young girls for money.
These young girls end up falling pregnant, and drop out of school. Uitkoms, which is situated some 165km east of Okahandja, is home to more than 3 000 vulnerable residents. The chief said they feel abandoned, as his people are starving. He also raised a concern that food items are delivered late, at times only after three to four months.
Sadly, August narrated that at the same time when his community members receive their drought relief food rations, they simultaneously go and sell the food for loose change as little as N$5 or N$10 to buy drugs and alcohol.
Contacted for comment, Omatako councillor Israel Hukura confirmed the delayed food distribution to Uitkoms for over three months. He, however, denied any knowledge about the sex-for-money or food trade at the farm.
“This is news to me. It never came to my attention. I need to investigate. Those allegations are of a serious
nature. I don’t know anything about those sex-for-money allegations at Uitkoms,” he said.
“Poverty levels are high, and where you have so many people with no jobs, it is not surprising that there are those struggling to make meets end. If there are parents agreeing for their kids to have sex for money, then we are sitting on a big problem,” he remarked.
Hukura then apportioned blame to the regional council, who oversee the distribution of drought relief food. “For four months, the food was not delivered. This is not done through my office. The food is stored at our stores in Otavi. They told me as soon as they get food from the suppliers, they will deliver the food items,” the councillor noted.
Meanwhile, Otjozondjupa governor James Uerikua this week also denied any knowledge of the sex-for-money trade at Uitkoms.
“I have no clue on sex-for-money allegations. We need to investigate; we can’t allow such practices. It is a serious allegation, but we need to substantiate these allegations. We denounce it. I got no official report on this,” he reacted.
On delayed food distributions, the governor said the development planner who was in charge of the process
passed on last year, and the vacancy has not yet been filled.
“No one should go to bed hungry because of bureaucracy. Bureaucracy should be used for checks and balances, but not to deny communities food.
The procurement is not decentralised. There is an urgent need to fill the position,” Uerikua stressed.
Hukura said he visits Uitkoms, contrary to the allegations by the chief of him missing in action.
“It is a good thing you went on the ground. I am being blamed that I give more attention to Uitkoms. So, it is surprising that they say they don’t see me. A month ago, I paid a courtesy call on chief Katae.”
He said he has over 200 farms, including resettlement farms such as Farm Uitkoms, to cover. Hence, he can’t be at every settlement at the same time.
As an intervention, Hukura said his office has established local development committees to help identify pressing issues in those communities.
Apart from cattle breeding, Farm Uitkoms has a learning institution for its fast-growing inhabitants. The Uitkoms Primary School offers classes from grades 1 to 7, and also has recreational facilities in the shape of gravel football and netball fields.
The resettlement farm furthermore boasts a health centre.
–anakale@nepc.com.na